Business and Management
Specialists - Cambridge Pre-U
GCSE requirements
There is no requirement to have studied business before starting the Business and Management Pre-U course. A serious interest in business combined with strong writing and numeracy skills are the key prerequisites. Self- discipline and real motivation are also required as pupils will be carrying out more independent learning.
Course outline
Business and Management aims to develop an appreciation of the value of business activity, plus a practical understanding of how businesses operate and why business decision-making is so important. The Cambridge Pre-U course aims to blend academic rigour with the development of practical business skills.
The course covers many relevant contemporary business issues as well as the more classic. Thus, for example, there are topics such as corporate social responsibility, China and India as emerging economic powers, waste management and off-shoring. Pupils will be expected to show a keen interest in business affairs and to show evidence of that knowledge both in the classroom and in their written work. The course also focuses on developing communication and presentation skills vital for future employability. Pupils will be required to write more traditional style open-ended essays in which they must construct an argument pulling theory and real world understanding together. There is also the requirement to write extended answers to questions based on a case study. This tests skills of knowledge, application and analysis.
The course also strongly encourages pupils to become competent and confident in the calculation and interpretation of business data. Financial accounting and numerical decision making techniques form a central part of a business’s tool kit.
Pupils will be expected to complete a business investigation (coursework). This will represent 25% of the total mark and will be externally assessed. Pupils will undertake an individual, independent investigation into a business problem faced by an existing small/medium sized business. The organisation may be a sole trader, partnership, or small private limited company. Investigations into a Public Limited Company will not meet the criteria. Pupils will be expected to find a business that they can visit and where they can carry out their research. Guidance will be offered to support their choice and investigation. They will then produce a report of at least 3000 words.
Combinations with other subjects
Business and Management can be linked successfully with almost all other areas of study. However, because Economics and Business and Management do contain an overlap in content we advise they should not be taken together.
University courses and careers
Business and Management provides an excellent introduction to the study of Business at degree level. For an Economics degree course, Mathematics and/or Economics A levels are clearly preferred to Business and Management, although they may not be prerequisites for every course.
SHORT COURSE
OCR AS level
GCSE requirements
There is no requirement to have studied business before starting the Business Studies AS course. An interest in business combined with strong writing and numeracy skills are the key prerequisites. It is a multi-skilled subject with information presented in written, numerical, graphical and diagrammatic format. Written work will be expected to exhibited confidence in all of these skills.
Course Outline
The AS Business Studies course is designed to be a complete introduction to how businesses operate and the influences affecting their decision making. Pupils will study two mandatory units covering:
- The nature of business
- Classification of business
- Business Objectives
- External influences – the economy, legislation, social and political factors
- Marketing
- Accounting and finance
- People in organisations
- Operations management
The specification aims to develop an enthusiasm and interest in business and enable pupils to critically examine business decision making. Pupils will be expected to generate solutions to business problems and demonstrate awareness that business behaviour can be studied from a range of perspectives. Important skills such as decision making, problem solving, challenging assumptions and managing information are developed which are useful in all subjects.
The modules are examined through two papers which use a range of short and long answer questions which relate to business case studies. Paper One uses real business articles to assess understanding of the business objectives and environment. Paper two uses a Pre Issued case study to assess understanding of the business functions. Pupils will be expected to recognise inter-relationships of the four main behavioural functions of business and that for an organisation to be a success in a dynamic and challenging environment; decisions have to be taken in the context of both the organisation’s wider objectives and its resources.
Combinations with other subjects
AS Business Studies combines well with all subjects. It will complement the skills required for studying Social Sciences and Arts based subjects. For pupils studying the sciences and mathematics, it will offer a contrast in skills and knowledge providing greater breadth to their studies.
J.S. Hazeldine